Fiddlers Afleet earns big money, vacation

By GARY WEST

gwest@star-telegram.com

OKLAHOMA CITY — Getting there, in the winner’s circle at Remington Park, involved a long journey, literally and figuratively for Marc Farrell. For Fiddlers Afleet, too. But there they stood, somewhat unexpectedly, but not shockingly, for in horse racing, as every fan and owner and trainer knows, this can happen.

In the late 1980s, as a youngster with a budding interest in horses, Marc Farrell worked, albeit inconspicuously, for trainer Jack Van Berg.

Basically, Farrell worked as a hot walker or a groom. Or maybe he was a "gofor" — going for this and for that and going for whatever. And there he was, a young guy at the barn, when Alysheba grabbed the nation’s attention by winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown in 1987 and when the tenacious colt went on to become the sport’s all-time leading money winner.

That experience, that association, left Farrell, he explained Sunday, with a yearning to get more involved in the game.

And he became much more involved Sunday, when he stood in there winner’s circle, beaming with the pride of ownership. The erstwhile hot walker is now the chief operating officer of a healthcare company based in California.

Sunday, however, after the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, he didn’t want to talk about his journey from groom to COO, but was more eager to talk about Fiddlers Afleet, the New York-bred colt who came to Remington Park without much of reputation but left with some solid credentials as a battler.

Fiddlers Afleet completed the 1 1/8 miles over a somewhat dull but officially "fast" surface in 1:51, finishing a half-length ahead of Massone, with Red Lead another two lengths back in third.

"He’s such a game horse," Farrell said, still beaming.

Red Lead, the runner-up in the Lone Star Derby, grabbed the lead at the start and took the field of eight through a lazy half-mile in 48.25.

In his last outing, the Albany Stakes, Fiddlers Afleet had battled through an opening half-mile in 46.02 and was still able to finish strongly enough to put himself in the winner’s circle.

And so he was full of energy and run Sunday, rating with a snug hold behind the soporific pace, as the field advanced into the second turn, where jockey Channing Hill turned him loose.

Fiddlers Afleet quickly opened an advantage of two lengths and then persevered to the wire as Massone, who had finished third in the Super Derby, again finished strongly but just couldn’t get to the front. Duke Of Mischief, the 2-1 favorite, faded to seventh after offering a challenge in the second turn.

Farrell purchased Fiddlers Afleet after the colt’s successful juvenile campaign and brought him home to California. But in three races on California’s synthetic surfaces, Fiddlers Afleet didn’t finish better than fourth — "He’ll never run on a synthetic surface again, as long as I own him," Farrell said.

Since then, while running at Belmont, Saratoga and now Remington, Fiddlers Afleet, who’s trained by Mike Hushion, has won three consecutive races, including two stakes.

With Sunday’s victory, the son of Northern Afleet earned $240,000, pushing his bankroll to $451,835. Farrell said he had no definite plans about the colt’s immediate future but might give him a vacation to prepare for next year.

Dashing For Cash

Swingin Daddyo was the fastest qualifier Saturday night at Lone Star Park for the $494,650 Dash For Cash Futurity, which will be run Oct. 24.

Winning for the first time in his career, Swingin Daddyo ran the 400 yards in 19.452, surpassing the track record of 19.480 set by Eyesa Special in 2000. He was ridden by Cody Wainscott and trained by Brad Bolen.

Also qualifying for the Dash For Cash Futurity were Streakin Down (19.537), Chick’s Jess Call Me (19.582), First Corona Call (19.625), Sweetest Trick (19.629), Tempting Dash (19.631), Eye Got The Blues (19.648), Diamond For Jess (19.657), Boondock Saint (19.688) and Happy Trick (19.689.

In the 10th of Saturday’s 14 trials, which weren’t completed until almost midnight, Teller Shes An Angel unseated her jockey, Cody Jensen, who hit the ground hard. He took himself off his remaining mounts that evening, but he somehow escaped serious injury.

Gary West, 817-390-7760

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